Pile forming apparatus



W. L. BALD FILE FORMING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1951 March 20, 1934.

o 0 3 0 ZZMQL W I14 7/ do w 3% v a 8 A o E 5. AAA WA u w% m a C m w B p III I .v o I: i N no Patented Mar. 20, 1934 PATE OFFICE PILE FORMING APPARATUS Warren L. Bald, Astoria, Long Island, N. Y.

Application December 12, 1931, Serial No. 580,556

2 Claims. (01. 61-53) The object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of pile forming apparatus of the character which is driven into the earth, and a vertical aperture thus formed is filled with the concrete comprising the pile, when set. In concrete pile construction it is recognized that the concrete pile at its base should provide the maximum supporting area. To that end it has frequently been the practice after part of the concrete mixture has been poured, to vigorously ram it with a view to spreading it laterally at the base. However, such procedure has been uncertain in result. It is the object of the present apparatus to mechanically form a pile-receiving chamber in the earth, which chamber may be uniform in diameter from the top toward. the base, and at the base increased in diameter to form a widened area, the increase of the diameter at the base of the pile-receiving aperture being mechanically governed. For example, the diameter may be doubled.

A further object of the invention is to provide such pile forming apparatus thatthe mechanical elements which effect the spreading and diameter increasing action at the base of the pile-receiving aperture may be radially collapsed and withdrawn with the apparatus as a whole when the forming operation is completed. Further objects will appear herein.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the 5 device shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the device showing the elements and their position at the end of a forming operation, the base of the apparatus being modified by the provision of a hinge cover plate.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises an outer tube 1 which may be termed the expander operating tube, an inner primary driving tube 2 at the base of which is the penetration head 3 having an aperture at a, surrounding which is a shoulder to receive the driving tube 2, and a multiple driving head construction. The driving head construction comprises a lower driving head 4 received within driving tube 2 for a portion of its length and having a flange overhanging and resting upon the upper end oi the tube. Immediately above driving head 4 is an upper driving head 5 having a flanged head lying above and engaging the upper end of an expander driving head 6 which is riveted, welded or otherwise secured to the expander operating tube 1. Expander operating tube 1 at its base is riveted, Welded or otherwise secured to a flanged sleeve 7 having pivoted thereto a plurality of toggle links 8, which in turn are pivoted at b to a lower series of toggle links 8x, the links 832 being pivoted in turn to penetration head 3.

Before the apparatus is driven, a corrugated relatively thin metal sleeve 9 will be placed around the base of the apparatus and over the toggles, and the sleeve 9 may at its lower end be provided with a thin metal cap 92v.

Expander driving head 6 may be formed at its upper end with ears 6x to receive links 10, which in turn are adapted to receive a draw-bar 11 for use in pulling the apparatus out of the pile hole when the latter has been formed.

When the apparatus just described is driven it will appear as shown in Figure l, the links 10 lying below the top of driving head 5. The blows of a hammer are directly imposed upon upper driving head 5 and are then carried to lower driving head 4 and thence to the primary driving tube 2 to concentration head 3 until the apparatus reaches its maximum descent except for a further movement required to operate the expander toggles. At this point the following procedure takes place:-

The operator in preparing for the expanding action removes upper driving head 5 and expander driving head 6 is driven down until it is flush with the lower driving head 4. As expander operating tube 1 is driven downward, toggle links 8, 8x move from the full line position, Figure 2, to the dotted line and finally to a position where the links 830 lie substantially horizontal. In such action the corrugated metal sleeve 9 is expanded to the form shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 3 the lower driving head 4 has been removed and the elements are in position for withdrawal. The structure is somewhat different from that illustrated in Figure 2, inasmuch as the lower toggle links 8x are shorter than the upper toggle links 8 and to penetration head 3 is hung a pivoted closure plate 12 to which is connected a cable 13 passing through an aperture c in driving head 4.

In withdrawing the apparatus, links 10 are raised and draw-bar 11 connected to a hoist. The earth surrounding expanded sleeve 9 will afford a resistance against the upper movement of the sleeve and pull upon upper toggle links 8 will swing each toggle link Sr in the arc of a circle and to vertical position. In such movement Ill) the expanded sleeve 9 will necessarily be further slightly distorted, but this is immaterial to the result. As the apparatus is pulled upwardly, concrete may be poured through sleeve 2, and the cable 13 being given slack, door 12 will swing on its pivot and permit passage of the mixture to the base of the pile-receiving aperture lined by expanded metal 9.

In one pile construction a wooden head is driven into the ground below the pile-aperture. When the construction of Figure 3 is employed, the apparatus may be raised to the extent to permit plate 12 to swing open and then the head may be passed to the base of tube 2 and then driven into position while the driving rod is guided by tube 2, after which the concrete-filling operation and withdrawal of the apparatus may be performed.

When the apparatus shown in Figure 2 is used with the pointed head, the latter may be driven through cap 9m inasmuch as the cap remains in place at the base of the pile-aperture when the apparatus is withdrawn, and the relatively thin metal of the cap permits penetration by the pointed head.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the invention, without departing from the spirit of same, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent being as follows:

1. In pile forming apparatus, a tube adapted to be driven into the earth for forming a pile-receiving aperture, a toggle-carrying member engaged by the tube at its lower end, a plurality of toggle links carried by the toggle-carrying member at mutually opposed points, a sleeve surrounding the tube above said toggle-carrying member, a plurality of toggle links pivoted to said sleeve and pivoted to the first-named set of toggle links, means for moving the sleeve endwise on the tube, and means whereby the tube, sleeve, the toggle links and said link-carrying member may be simultaneously driven into the earth, said means permitting subsequent actuation of the sleeve to move the toggle links outwardly from the sleeve.

2. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1, in combination with an expansible lining surrounding the toggle links, and corrugated, thereby being adapted for expansion by the toggle links in their outward movement.

WARREN L. BALD. 

